Guards II: Chaos in Hell

Simple mechanic, but surprisingly tactical and definitely not easy (on hard). Hero selection, hero upgrades, general upgrades and item selection all provide a lot of decision making room, and that's even before the battle. My only gripe is that the last level has a significant difficulty spike compared to the rest of the game on the same difficulty. Still, the last battle was pretty cool and the entire game satisfyingly. However, there is a sort of New game+ mode that introduces new enemies, so there is quite a bit of content even after the game ends.

The negative. - The combat can get repetitive after a while. The core mechanic is really good, but you're essentially working within the same formation-based system throughout the entire campaign. - Some of the harder encounters, especially later on, can also feel a bit too punishing. There are definitely moments where figuring out the "intended" strategy feels more like trial and error than actually making meaningful decisions. It's satisfying once you figure it out, but getting there can occasionally be frustrating. The meh: - I wouldn't say the character upgrades or hero variety are anything revolutionary. They give you enough options to experiment with different compositions and strategies, but the main attraction is still the combat system itself. The positives: - The combat is genuinely clever. It's one of those systems that looks almost laughably simple at first, but the more you play, the more you realize how much the game gets out of it. You're not freely moving four characters around some huge battlefield. Instead, you're constantly deciding who should be in the front formation and who should be sent to the single backline, and that positioning determines what your team…

Guards II: Chaos in Hell is a tactical strategy game that manages to create impressive depth from a very simple foundation. Developed by Battlecruiser Games and published by HeroCraft PC, the game sends players into the depths of Hell to battle demonic forces using a compact squad of heroes and a combat system built entirely around positioning and timing. At first glance, the mechanics appear almost too minimalistic, but after only a few battles it becomes clear that the simplicity is intentional. Every movement, attack, and formation change carries weight, turning each encounter into a strategic puzzle where smart planning matters far more than brute force. The story serves primarily as a setup for the tactical gameplay, but it fits the dark fantasy atmosphere well enough. A magician enters into a dangerous pact in order to stop the Devil from uniting Hell’s kingdoms and launching an invasion against humanity. Players lead a team of warriors, mages, and strange supernatural fighters through multiple infernal regions inspired by mythology and folklore. While the narrative itself is fairly straightforward, the setting gives the game enough personality to remain engaging throughout …

Very old-school feel. Simple to start and very addictive but get far more complex within a few hours and with that even more fun :)

I was very surprised by how unique and engaging the strategy was. There's a of ways to customize your gameplay.

First boss is vastly too difficult. Game is worthless at this point to me, 35 minutes in and I am done. Very peeved about this purchase.